


oh no (here we go again)

by warriorwoman



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, posie - Freeform, protective!penelope, sharing a bed trope, they get a happy freaking ending, we ship ex girlfriends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2019-10-31 12:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17849165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorwoman/pseuds/warriorwoman
Summary: "I'm not in the mood, Penelope.""Oh, but JoJo, you werealwaysin the mood. I guess a lack of vitamin me has been taking its toll."(The one where Josie doesn't need to fall in love with her ex-girlfriend because she never fell out of love.)





	1. sharing your bed (and a piece of your heart too)

**Author's Note:**

> hello, unrelated to this fic but i would just like to remind you all that canon penelope park went down on josie saltzman. (aka the famous line, "you used to like it when i went low") and that #posie will be endgame if we tweet at julie plec long enough. start tweeting, witches.
> 
> sorry in advance for any mistakes and plz enjoy

Josie Saltzman was exhausted.

Not only did her sister have a meltdown because Rafael sent Josie flowers, but the blonde had decided to lock her sister out of their shared room.

"Lizzie, I don't even like him. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding,” Josie pleaded, her head resting on the door as she heard Lizzie's trampling around their room,  _most likely trashing Josie's side_. "Please, it's getting late. Can you just let me sleep in my bed tonight and we'll pick this up in the morning?" She tried with a lighter tone and only received the crashing sound of something being thrown at the door. Sighing, Josie sifted through different people she could crash with for the night. 

The list was short.

Just as another item was thrown against the door, a voice interrupted her thoughts, "Yikes, seems as though sissy is a little mad. Could it be boy troubles that have her panties in a twist?"

Josie closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before turning around to face her ex. "I'm not in the mood, Penelope."

The girl gave Josie her classic smirk before responding, "Oh, but JoJo, you were  _always_  in the mood. I guess a lack of _vitamin me_  has been taking its toll."

Josie's cheeks turned red from embarrassment and frustration. "Penelope, I am  _seriously_  not in the right mindset to deal with you right now.” Josie lowered her voice as she took a step away from the door and closer to her ex. "Please leave before  _all_  your hair goes up in flames."

Penelope raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "I'm not going to lie, that tone of kinda turns me on."

"I swear to-"

"Okay, okay," Penelope put her hands up in mock surrender before the other girl could set her aflame. "I didn't come here to tease you, or get set on fire,” she added with a small smile, taking a step closer to Josie so they were a mere foot apart. "I wanted to wish you a late, but still a very happy Valentine's Day."

Josie felt her frustration slowly dissipate as she glanced down and fumbled with her hands before softly murmuring, "I don't know what you want me to say. I thought we weren't going to talk about the kiss or what it meant?"

Penelope bit her lip and, for the first time since the two dated, Josie watched her as her ex became unsure. "Yeah, um, I know." The girl seemed to glance at the door before straightening her shoulders and letting her smirk fall back into place. "I wanted to offer you my bed." Before Josie could get worked up over the comment, Penelope continued, "In a platonic sense, JoJo. Get your head out of the gutter. But really, I know Lizzie won't be forgiving you anytime soon, so you can crash with me."

Josie couldn't seem to form a well thought out response and she blurted, "What about your roommate?" 

Penelope lazily waved her hand, "No worries, she's been sleeping in her boyfriend's room for the last few days. She won't be back until she's caught by your dad for breaking curfew."

"I don't know, Penny, it doesn't seem like a good idea." Josie didn't understand why her ex's eyes lit up until she realized what she'd said. With a cough, she corrected her statement, "I meant to say,  _Penelope_."

The girl simply tilted her head with a mischievous glint in her eyes before she continued, "Well, I won't  _beg_  you to allow yourself a night in an actual bed rather than on this floor,” she gestured mockingly at the ground beneath them before adding, "and I promise, no more innuendos or teasing."

"Is that even possible for you to promise?"

"No, not really, but I can promise to  _try_." Penelope winked and gestured for Josie to take the lead. "I believe you know where you're going."

"Oh really? How do you know that? It's been a while,” the girl responded, crossing her arms with a small smile on her face.

Penelope's smirk only grew cockier as she leaned in, tucking a stray hair behind Josie's ear and whispering, "Because you were  _always_  able to find it, even if my tongue was down your throat and your shirt was half off."

Josie swallowed down any words she was about to respond with as she felt a flash of heat travel to the pit of her stomach. 

"Then again, you did like it best when  _I_  took the lead." 

And with that, Penelope was off, swinging her hips as Josie was left with her jaw a bit dropped and her eyes a bit dazed.

///

"I don't really think it'd be appropriate for me to sleep in your roommate's bed," Josie stated as Penelope handed her shorts and a sweatshirt to sleep in. "but as long as we wash the sheets, it should be okay, right?"

"Come on, JoJo, it just wouldn't be right. It is  _her_  bed after all." The other girl teased, before turning around and beginning to strip. 

Josie slapped her hand over her eyes rather quickly and exclaimed, "Jeez, Penelope! A warning next time you decide to go all naked?"

"Nothing you haven't seen before. I did turn around, so, you're welcome. Although it would be a better view from the-"

"Okay! Got it. Thanks." Josie groaned before peeking between her fingers to check if her ex was still turned around before pulling her own shirt off. She quickly slipped into the shorts and sweatshirt, trying not to sigh at the scent of Penelope's perfume that was enlaced in the clothes. "Are you decent?" 

"I'm  _always_  better than decent."

Josie rolled her eyes as she turned back around and blushed at the sight of her ex. It wasn't just the way Penelope looked, but also the way Penelope was  _looking_  at her. She looked at Josie as though she was her whole world. 

They both seemed to avert their eyes at the same time when Josie cleared her throat. "So, uh, what are the sleeping arrangments?"

Penelope glanced to the bed and back at Josie, a small smirk playing on her lips. "I mean, I'm sure you could get away with sleeping in her bed considering she didn't notice the last time we used it."

Josie fought a blush as she remembered what her ex was referencing...

_The sound of the headboard creaking was nothing new to the two girls who were too caught up in each other's bodies until the creak turned into a crack._ _Josie grabbed hold of her girlfriend's hair and pulled Penelope's head up from where she was making her way down Josie's stomach._

_"Ow, JoJo. I know you like it rough but-" Penelope's teasing was cut short by the mortified look on Josie's face. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Her tone shifted quickly to concern as she rolled off of her girlfriend and tried to gauge what was going on._

_"Oh my god, Penny, I'm so sorry." Josie pointed to where the headboard had cracked before burying her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck._

_Penelope attempted to fight the giggle from escaping her lips, but couldn't. She laughed and laughed and pulled Josie away from her hiding spot only to press a chaste kiss to her lips. "Did you do that or did we?"_

_"I did it. I got a little, um, excited and my magic kind of, well, you can see what it did while I was gripping it."_

_"I think that's the best compliment I've ever gotten from a girl."_

_"Oh, shut up." Josie pushed at her girlfriend's shoulder before pausing, "So, I'm guessing we shouldn't continue?"_

_Penelope looked at her with a mischievous look in her eyes. "We won't continue." The girl tried not to snicker at the disappointment of Josie's face. "Don't fret, JoJo. What I meant to say was that we won't continue on this bed."_

_Before her girlfriend could protest, Penelope pulled Josie in for a kiss as she hauled her over to her roommate's bed. "Pen, we can't! Not on her bed." She stuttered out breathlessly as her girlfriend left kisses down her neck._

_"Tell me to stop and I will." Penelope countered, her voice radiating confidence before she found the spot just to the right and above Josie's collarbone that always made the girl go wild._

_And boy did it._

_Let's just say, Josie did not ask Penelope to stop. In fact, she pleaded for her girlfriend not to stop, many, many times._

"--and I can take her bed if you really must insist that  _you_  won't use it."

Josie's head shot up as she was brought back to the present. "I, um, missed that?"

Penelope raised an eyebrow but didn't question the girl. "I asked if you would be alright sleeping on my bed since you  _refuse_  to use hers." She overexaggerated and watched Josie roll her eyes. "And those are new sheets so there's no need to worry."

"Yeah, thank you." She replied softly as she shuffled towards the bed before giving her ex an awkward smile and settling on the bed. "I, um, really appreciate you letting-"

Penelope waved at Josie, cutting her off. "You know it's the least I could do. And it's not like your new boyfriend could sneak you into his room. I'm sure Lizzie would love that." She added overzealously as she plopped on her roommate's bed.

"Why do you have to do that?" Josie asked as she settled into the bed with a sigh.

"Do what? Speak the truth?" 

"Whenever you say or do something nice it's like you need to remind me of all the reasons why we didn't work out. It's like you need to reiterate what Lizzie says about you every day."

"Like saying I'm Satan?"

"Yeah, like saying you're Satan," Josie muttered back, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of Penelope that seemed to envelop her.

The other girl bit her lip and leaned back as she stared longingly at her ex. "JoJo, whatever fights your sister and I have gotten into, they're not your fault. You know that, right?"

Josie opened her eyes and glanced at her ex. Penelope quickly averted her longing gaze as Josie spoke, "Then why do they always involve me?"

"We both love you and," Penelope took a deep breath as if to gather the courage to speak, "we disagree on how to show that love. I've always wanted you to be the best individual you can be while she's never made any effort for  _you_. It's always about  _her_."

"She's my  _twin_. It's okay if it's about her sometimes." Josie said quietly, trying to ignore the four-letter word Penelope had dropped without warning:  _love_. 

Penelope held in a scoff that she knew would only push Josie to defend her sister without thought. "And  _sometimes_  is okay but it's  _always_  been about her. It was  _Lizzie_  for the council,  _Lizzie's_  birthday, and  _Lizzie_  and Rafael."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Josie stated as she rolled so her back was facing Penelope. "Let's just go to bed."

The other girl took a steady breath trying to forget Lizzie Saltzman and her controlling claws. "Sleep well, JoJo." She murmured from across the room as she settled into her roommate's bed.

"You too, Penny."

///

Josie couldn't sleep.

It wasn't just Penelope's scent all over the blankets and clothes, but it was the girl herself.

_She wouldn't stop moving._

Penelope had been approaching almost an hour of uncomfortably shuffling around in her roommate's bed. It was too lumpy and too warm and too-

"Hey, Penelope?"

"I'm trying to sleep, JoJo." 

"Um, yeah, me too but I can't with you making all that noise."

"Last I recall, you like it when I'm loud. I believe you said it was  _flattering_." Penelope shot back with a growing smile on her face as she heard Josie sigh in annoyance.

"You promised you'd limit the innuendos and teasing."

"Alright, fine. I got you in my bed so the hard work is done anyway."

"Oh my god, Penelope!"

"I remember hearing you yell that  _a lot_  when you were in my bed."

"Okay, that's it," Josie muttered and rolled out of the bed. She almost tripped over whatever was lying on the ground before she could get to her ex. "Come here," Josie ordered as she grabbed the girl and yanked her out of the bed and over to her's, all while Penelope had a proud, yet confused look on her face. "If you can't sleep in her bed, then just sleep here," She huffed as she plopped the both of them onto the double twin bed.

"If you wanted to get me into bed with you-"

"Shut up and sleep or I'll go crash with Raf." It may have been dark in Penelope's room, but Josie could still see the flame of jealousy that was fired up at the mention of the boy.

Penelope didn't respond and instead, she shuffled over to one side of the bed as Josie made herself comfortable on the other side.  _Though to say the bed has sides is a bit of an over-exaggeration considering it was a double twin and the two girls were practically touching_.

A few minutes of silence passed before Josie huffed and turned on her side to face her ex. "Penelope?"

The girl just groaned and opened one eye to peek at Josie. "What?"

"I always slept better when, well, you know..." Josie trailed off and gave her ex a hopeful look.

Penelope sat up in bed, both eyes wide open. "You really wanna do this? Now? Alright, give me a sec to get in the mood-"

"Seriously? No!" Josie blurted out, pushing her ex back on the bed. "I meant spooning me. Jesus, I forgot all you do is think about sex."

"Okay, not true. All I do is think about  _you_. And we would have sex, so, naturally, I assumed you wanted to take the edge off."

"That's enough. Just forget I said anything." Josie grumbled and turned to her other side so her back was facing Penelope.

The other girl sighed softly before turning the front of her body to press against the back of Josie's. "I'm sorry if I made you feel weird. I know how complicated this is for you." She slipped a hand under Josie's sweatshirt and began tracing small circles with her thumb before whispering, "It's complicated for me too." 

Josie moved her hand to interlock with Penelope's fingers before pulling it to hold her tighter as she hummed contently. She let out a small puff of air before murmuring, "Complicated is just another way of saying something takes effort."

"Beauty and brains? Why did I ever let you go?" Penelope teased, a hint of pain in her voice.

"Don't forget my sense of humor."

"What sense of humor?"

"Okay, fair enough but that was still rude."


	2. i’m still tingling (your touch lingers)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okey, this chapter is kinda plot-heavy and has platonic!hosie so if ur looking for a quick fix of posie content, wait for the next chapters ;) -there is still posie interaction tho, no worries-
> 
> also, thx so much for all of you who commented! I read and cherish them, so, thank you! they 11/10 help me write!! as always, sorry if there are mistakes... ya girl doesn't have a beta and hates proofreading :/

Anyone who was in the gym when Hope Mikaelson began her workout cleared out fairly quickly. The girl was anything  _but_  gentle with the equipment and would send things flying on a regular basis. So, when Josie Saltzman offered to work out with her, Hope was skeptical. She didn't exactly have the greatest track record when it came to training partners. The tribrid decided that the least harmful activity the two could do was practicing punches and kicks with a mat. Hope realized quickly why Josie had wanted to seek out alone time with her.

"It's too easy to fall back into old habits. I can't just pick up where we left off. There's a reason we didn't work out,” Josie complained breathlessly in between Hope's punches before continuing, "I can't go through  _another_  heartbreak."

Hope sighed after she gave a swift kick to the mat her friend was holding. "I should've known the only reason you agreed to work out with me was because of-"

"Hey, I had to listen to you go on about Landon for hours,” Josie interrupted as she accidentally dropped the mat due to her attention being on scolding her friend. Unfortunately for Josie, Hope had decided that would be a good time to practice her roundhouse kick. 

So, as Josie bent to pick up the mat, Hope, with her eyes closed because  _duh_ , she could fight in her sleep so she needed to practice a more difficult task, pivoted her leg before extending her foot sharply, hitting Josie's face expertly.

"Oh,  _fuck_!" Josie howled as she stayed bent over, cradling the side of her face with one hand as the other tried to stop the gushing blood coming from her nose and lip.

"Oh my god, Josie! I'm so-"

"It's my fault as much as it's yours. Just get me to the infirmary. And  _do not_  let anyone see me like this."

"As long as Penelope doesn't see you then it should be fine."

"No, she has minions everywhere. Just throw me your hoodie. I'll put it over my face." 

"Is that really necessary?"

"Have you seen Penelope Park when she's angry?"

Hope cocked an eyebrow at Josie as she helped her drape her hoodie over her head.  The tribrid tucked a strand of loose hair behind Josie's ear before she saw the full extent of damage she had caused with her kick. "Shit, Josie, I'm so sorry. I should've been paying more attention and kept my eyes open-"

"It's seriously not your fault. I knew you weren't watching but when I dropped the mat, it was just instinct to pick it up. If anything, it's my fault." Josie gave Hope a weak smile, flinching at the pain that shot through her split lip. "Anyway, I'd save your apologies for Penelope."

Hope rolled her eyes playfully as she grabbed tissues for Josie to hold to her mouth and nose. "Isn't she angry every day?"

"Yeah, well, multiply that by a hundred and that's how she'll react when she finds out I'm hurt." Josie, through one good eye and a swollen second, glanced at Hope and saw a doubtful look on her face. "I'd be just as skeptical but I've seen how she gets. Last year, when we were dating, some idiot we were playing in flag football tripped me and I split my lip and chipped a tooth. After she ran over to check if I was okay, she beat the guy into a pulp before there were enough people to pull her off of him. Then, she hexed him so that every time someone said his name, he'd get a boner,” Josie paused to spit blood from her mouth into the tissue before continuing, "I can't imagine what family dinners were like every time someone wanted his attention."

Hope stared at Josie with an impressed yet concerned look. "Alrighty then. Let's get you there without a single student seeing you."

"Or a teacher. She's bribed some of them."

Hope shook her head in awe. "What did she bribe them with?"

"Weed," Josie stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The two made it to the infirmary without anyone noticing  _too_  much. They were given questioning glances as to why Hope was holding a sweatshirt over Josie's head but no one saw enough to make a judgment. The tribrid was giving frequent glances at the siphon, concerned she was in more pain than she was letting on. 

"I didn't see any symptoms of a concussion but I still think she should be checked. I know there's no baseline on file to compare-"

The nurse interrupted, "I  _do_  know what I'm doing, Miss Mikaelson."

"Could've fooled me," Hope muttered with disdain as she watched the woman finish cleaning the split lip.

Josie glared at Hope as if to tell her to shut up. As the nurse threw away the last bloody gauze pad, Hope realized Josie's face didn't look too damaged. The girl's eye was swollen but not to the point where it was closed, the cut on her lip, without the blood, didn't look as though it needed stitches and her nose wasn't broken. There was, however, a giant bruise beginning to form on the side of her face extending from a laceration just above the girl's eyebrow and appearing lighter as it spread to her cheekbone.

"How do you feel?" The nurse asked as she fished through a drawer for whatever remedy would best help the laceration above Josie's eyebrow. 

"I'm fine, just, you know, sore."

"I'm going to apply some healing gel to the cut and it should close it up well."

"How well?" Hope asked, concerned as she gripped Josie's hand.

"It'll be like she was never hit." The nurse sent Hope a small smile as the tribrid gazed hopefully at Josie.

"What about the bruises? And her split lip?" 

"The bruises will heal on their own and the gel isn't safe if it's ingested so," the nurse shot Josie a sympathetic look, "unfortunately you'll have to stick it through."

"Why aren't you just using a spell?" Josie asked, her eyebrows beginning to scrunch up before she winced at the pain that sent a strike through the side of her face.

"Your father mandated that any further spells that use too much magic are to be put on the back burner due to safety issues. Safety spells use up energy." The nurse applied the gel lightly and within seconds, the cut closed up and didn't leave a mark. "With all the creatures that have been coming and going, he wants us to save our energy."

"That's  _bullshit_." Hope shook her head but before she could get too worked up, Josie squeezed her hand, reminding her to ground herself and not let the werewolf in her take over. She took a breath and glanced at Josie before asking the nurse, "Can I complete the spell?"

The nurse gave a hesitant nod before adding, "I'm not supposed to condone magic use by students, but you have enough knowledge of the basics for me to give you the spell. However, I'd prefer you completed it with a siphoner so you're not strained for magic."

Hope thought for a second before agreeing, "Fine."

The nurse walked into an adjoining room to retrieve the spell before Josie spoke, "Thank you but I can fight my own battles," she muttered to Hope, gripping the tribrid's hand tighter when the nurse returned with the spell. "And it's not like I'm dying, Hope." 

"Don't joke about that,” Hope said seriously before adding in a lighter tone, "I might be able to fight off Lizzie and Penelope separately, but the minute those two have a common interest," she nudged Josie in a gesture to show  _she_  was their common interest before continuing, "all bets are off and I'm  _so_  dead."

"I can't imagine a universe where those two get along." Josie shook her head in cynicism before adding, "Thank you, Hope Mikaelson."

The tribrid gave her a strange look, "Are you thanking me for kicking you in the face or is this a symptom of a concussion?"

"Oh, shut up.” Josie rolled her eyes playfully before adding genuinely, "I'm thanking you for being a good friend. Not for kicking me in the face, which, again, not your fault, but for treating me nicely even though Lizzie and I have said and done some  _questionable_  things to you."

"That was mostly your sister." Hope shrugged before adding with a sigh, "It sucks that it's taken us this long to be friends." The two girls shared a moment, smiling at each other before the nurse cleared her throat and handed over the parchment the spell had been written.

"Please be careful. And don't tell anyone I gave this to you, especially not Alaric. I like my job here,  _for the most part_ ,” the nurse finished with a whisper before shooing the girls off.

Hope grabbed the sweatshirt to place over Josie's head but the girl shook her head. "The blood is gone and the bruise hasn't really formed yet. I'll just keep my head down."

"Okay, but where do you want to go? If you want that spell cast, we'll have to find someone with enough knowledge and secrecy so they won't rat me out to your dad for performing unauthorized magic."

"It's not  _really_  unauthorized," Josie muttered and kept her head down as they walked through the halls. She began to realize it was a mistake not to cover her face up as students began squinting at her and murmuring when she passed them. "The nurse-"

"She was concerned we'd tell your dad. Which means we should only ask people we trust." Hope paused in the hallway before pulling Josie into a corner with her. "I think we can only ask-"

"Lizzie or Penelope."

///

Penelope Park's morning started  _heavenly_.

She woke peacefully to a warm body being pressed into hers and  _god_ , she wanted it to last. Penelope was content with waking up before her alarm as she softly ran her fingers through Josie's hair. She gently stroked the girl's cheek and muttered, "You're everything, JoJo."

And for a sweet second when Josie woke, she leaned into Penelope's touch.

Then her brain fired up and she sprung out of bed, but in her hurry, she didn't take into account her legs which had been wrapped up in Penelope's. She tripped and fell on the floor with a  _thump_. 

"Woah there, hotshot, don't go falling for me  _that_  hard. You'll bruise your butt and trust me, JoJo, it's too cute to get a bruise." Penelope spoke smugly, her voice a bit gravelly from waking up and _holy fuck_ did Josie want to jump her bones with that  _annoying_  head tilt and that  _stupid_  smirk-

So Josie did what Josie does best when she felt a torrid of emotions.

She ran.

Quite literally. She didn't bother to grab the clothes she wore the previous day and instead ran out the door in Penelope's shorts and sweatshirt.

Penelope's day went downhill from there.

Someone had presumably seen Josie acting  _very_  chummy with Hope Mikaelson. Penelope brushed this off because she didn't need to be seen as some jealous ex. No, she wanted to be someone that Josie could confide in and  _trust_  and be there for. 

Even when she learned of Josie entering the tribrid's room and not leaving to go to classes, Penelope was okay.

What she was  _not_  okay with, however, was the rumor that her ex was sporting a black eye.

///

Hope had been listing the pros and cons of choosing either Lizzie or Penelope to help complete the spell in order to get Josie to pick one of the two. After several, "Lizzie is so mad at me that she'd tell our dad," and, "Penelope is my  _ex_ ," Josie plopped onto the tribrid's bed and sighed, "This sucks."

Hope joined her on the bed as they both stared at the ceiling. "I would suggest that we don't even do the spell but that bruise isn't going away in time for the talent show and I know how important-"

"Are you kidding? I couldn't care less about that. It's always been Lizzie's thing." For whatever reason, this year's talent show had Lizzie more excited than ever. After the two sisters had charmed their bracelets to shock them if they said anything mean, Lizzie had thrown herself into planning every second of their talent. Josie knew this was because her sister had to stay distracted in order to  _not_  be cruel. However, as Josie suspected, her sister came to her in exaggerated tears telling her the bracelets were a bad idea and that they could be nice all on their own. Josie, needing to always please her sister, agreed. She did so with one rule, though. Josie knew the two of them would be stressed out just before and during the talent show, so the two had to wear their bracelets the day of and the day before. As soon as the bracelet was removed, Lizzie began harping on Josie, this all being before the incident with Rafael and his  _damned_  flowers. "And anyway," Josie continued with a huff, "I don't want to heal it just for appearances but because the _last thing_  I need is for my best friend to get in a fight with my ex."

Hope didn't respond, the shock evident on her face. 

"What?" Josie asked before turning to the tribrid, oblivious to what she'd said.

" _Best _friends?" Hope muttered as she turned to face Josie.__

____

"I mean, yeah?" The girl began to question if maybe Hope didn't feel the same way. "It's fine if you don't-"

____

"I do,  _BFF_." Hope snickered before Josie pushed on her shoulder as if to swat her away. "But really, I can handle Penelope's drama if you don't feel comfortable with her or your sister performing the spell,” she added in a more serious tone, giving Josie a soft smile.

____

A knock on Hope's door filled the air before Josie could give Hope an answer.

____

The tribrid frowned in confusion before she used her innate wolf senses to smell who was at the door. Hope shot Josie a concerned look and gestured for her to stay on the side of the room that was blocked by the position of the door. 

____

Hope opened the door a smidge after a second knock filled the air, "Penelope Park," Hope gave the girl a tight smile as she kept only a sliver of the door open, "what do you need?"

____

"Hello, mutt." The girl smirked, her usual flare muted by an emotion Hope couldn't quite pinpoint. "I need to speak with Josie."

____

"Is that concern I smell?" Hope caught on and leaned through the threshold so her face was inches from Penelope's.

____

"I think your own doggie scent is clogging up your nose,” Penelope shot back before leaning to attempt to see around Hope.

____

"She's not here, so leave."

____

Penelope's eyes seemed to darken and before Hope knew what was happening, the girl was using magic and pushing the door open. The tribrid didn't bother to stop Penelope when the girl locked eyes with her ex. 

____

"Jesus, Josie. Are you okay?" She asked almost breathlessly as she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching out to caress the girl's bruised cheek. "It's not too dark yet," she muttered as her thumb gently traced over the reddish mark. "Does it hurt?"

____

Josie wished she could've pulled away but seeing Penelope so concerned was making her stomach twist in some kind of way. "I'm fine. It was an accident and we already saw the nurse. What are you doing here?" She couldn't seem to stop words exiting her mouth, especially as Penelope gave Josie her that  _damned_  head tilt.

____

Hope spoke before Penelope could answer, "Josie," the girl looked away from her ex to meet Hope's eyes, "do you want to ask her?"

____

Penelope smirked at Josie and brushed a stray lock of hair behind the girl's ear before muttering, "Awe, JoJo, are you proposing?"

____

_That_  seemed to snap Josie out of her trance. She took a step away from her ex and crossed her arms, trying to gain  _some_  confidence back. "I'd rather not go around with this on my face, especially during the talent show, so, we kind of need you to help with a spell."

____

Penelope raised an eyebrow as she commented, "Firstly, you've never given a shit about those talent shows. Secondly, healing spells can be done by any siphon or witch. Why do you need me if she," Penelope gestured to Hope offhandedly, "can do it?"

____

"The nurse said healing magic can be tricky unless the user is properly trained."

____

"And the nurse couldn't do it because...?"

____

"Josie's  _wonderful_  father and  _our_  headmaster mandated that magic is only used in dire circumstances until the monsters are caught. He wants staff to remain at their best. It's a load of  _bullshit_."

____

"It makes enough sense," Josie muttered and the two other girls rolled their eyes at the girl's need to blindly defend others. "So, can you help?

____

Penelope shrugged as she took a step closer to Josie. "I'll help with the spell if you tell me how you got that bruise." Josie glanced at the tribrid and Penelope's eyes followed. "Did Hope give it to you?" she asked calmly before closing the distance between herself and Josie. "Did she hurt you, JoJo?"

____

"She didn't mean to," Josie murmured, not wanting to speak but the pull that Penelope had on her when she was so close to Josie was similar to the compulsion of a vampire.

____

"Well, I'm fucked,” Hope cursed as Penelope turned to the tribrid, her eyes full of fire and pure hatred.

____

" _Penny_ , it was an accident! It was my fault, really! I was helping her train and I dropped the mat and I wasn't paying attention and-"

____

"She's a fucking tribrid. She should know better than to train with someone who isn't as experienced."

____

Hope muttered, " _She_  is right here. And I've said sorry."

____

As a magic ball of fire grew in the palm of her hand, Penelope snarled, "Oh, you will be sorry." 

____


	3. a kiss (or two) and seal the deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be sexual content in this fic... nothing too explicit tho. if this is uncomfortable for you, i'm warning you now to stop reading. plz remember it's already been implied that they did *it* on the show, so i'm not really pushing any limits i don't think? lol idk, i'm trying not to offend anyone, so, sorry if i do! enjoy the chapter, it's shorter than the others but I make up for it ;)  
> and as always, sorry for any mistakes.

Josie was not about to let her ex start her best friend on fire, so, she did the first thing that came to mind. 

She jumped between the two girls.

" _Move_ , Josie," Penelope growled, her eyes shining with rage.

"You are completely over-exaggerating the situation," Josie tried, reaching her hand out to try to siphon some of Penelope's magic away. The witch wasn't having it.

So, Josie did the second thing that came to mind.

She kissed her ex-girlfriend.

Oh  _fuck_.

She just kissed her ex-girlfriend — no — she was  _still_ kissing her. And  _god_ , it felt nice. 

The siphon was able to take some of the magic away before attaching her mouth to her ex's. She was too far gone to worry about the rest of the ball of fire. Thankfully, Penelope ended the spell as soon as she was able to comprehend what was happening. She began kissing back, quite aggressively, too. It was as if all the anger and tension that Penelope had been harboring towards Hope transformed itself into nibbling on Josie's bottom lip and—

"As  _delightful_  as this is, I'm going to leave," Hope stated plainly, causing Josie to spring away from Penelope, "and Penelope?" Hope watched the anger return to the witch's face before she added, "I am sorry for hurting Josie, it really was unintentional."

When she was met with silence, Hope sighed and made her way to her bedroom door. "I'm going to go and let you figure out whatever," Hope gestured to the girls, "is going on. If you're going to continue making out, please go somewhere else. If you're just going to talk, carry on. I'll back to cast that spell in five minutes," Hope said with a small smile playing on her lips. The tribrid knew she could've beaten Penelope right then and there, but she didn't want to hurt the witch or Josie in the process. She closed the door behind her before either girl could reprehend her.

"So-" Josie started before Penelope grabbed her by the collar and pulled her as close to her lips as she could without connecting them. 

The siphon was startled but knew this was Penelope waiting for her to consent and _god_ , Josie appreciated that. She easily closed the distance and kissed back feverishly, trying to commit to memory the feeling of her ex's lips on hers and the soft moan Penelope made as Josie deepened the kiss. The witch moved her hand from Josie's collar to her waist, slipping a hand under the siphon's shirt and gently stroking her skin. Josie felt every inch of her body prickle with need and desire as she felt Penelope's hand move up, tracing just under the back of the siphon's bra.

She knew she had to stop the kiss before it became too difficult to pull back.

Josie broke the kiss and pushed herself away, turning her back to Penelope so she wouldn't be tempted to attach their lips and continue. 

"You were saying?" Penelope asked with a smirk, unabashedly checking out Josie's backside.

Josie closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath before turning around. "Are you going to help with the spell?"

The witch regarded her, tilting her head and swiping a finger under her bottom lip, making a show of wiping off her smeared lipstick. "Yes," she said simply before taking a step closer to Josie. The girl closed her eyes as Penelope leaned closer, waiting for her to attach their lips.

The kiss never came.

Instead, the siphon felt Penelope's finger above her upper lip, wiping lipstick, and Josie  _melted_. "Penny, please don't make this any harder—"

"No one's getting hard, JoJo. That's the point of being in a relationship with another female," Penelope sighed dramatically before taking a step away from the siphon, "but then again, we're not in a relationship."

Josie wasn't sure what to say, so she kept her mouth closed. She sent out a quick prayer for Hope to come back in the room and thanked whichever higher power that listened when she heard a knock on the door. "You both decent?"

"No, we're banging on your bed," Penelope shot back giving Josie a wink as she let out a very intense moan which caused the siphon to turn beet red.

_Josie totally didn't get more turned on at the familiar sound of her ex letting out such a sexual sound. Absolutely not._

" _Jesus_ , Penelope. Shut up!" Josie turned away from the witch and called out to the tribrid, "We're dressed and  _not_ engaging in, um,  _those_ kinds of activities."

Hope entered the room slowly with a hand over her eyes as she peeked through her fingers. 

Penelope gave Josie a mocking pout before responding, "But you used to love  _those_ kinds of activities."

"And I used to love  _you_ , but that didn't turn out so well, now did it?" Josie responded harshly, fed up with herself for having such intense feelings for the witch and not being able to express them. She didn't mean to speak in such an unkind manner, but it was too late to take it back as the siphon watched Penelope visibly flinch at the comment.

Hope stood awkwardly in the doorway watching the two before clearing her throat and interrupting, "Maybe we should start the spell?"

" _Great_  idea, mutt," Penelope snarled, turning away from Josie as she tried not to show her hurt. 

Hope knew it was best to leave the witch alone rather than antagonize her further. "Okay, let's begin," she tried in a neutral tone, sending Josie a reassuring smile before grabbing Penelope's hand to start.

///

The spell worked.

Josie wasn't happy, however.

As soon as the last words of the incantation were said, Penelope yanked her hand out of Hope's, gave Josie a quick once-over with caring yet guarded eyes, and  _left_.

Josie thanked Hope before muttering about having to make amends with her sister. She gave the tribrid a hug and an appreciative smile, promising to talk the next day before leaving the room.

As Josie walked to her room, she tried to hype herself up. She knew she'd be met with disdain from Lizzie and needed to be ready for that. As the brunette approached the door, she took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock. Before she could, however, her sister opened it, wide-eyed and frantic.

" _Josie_! Oh my god, are you okay?" Lizzie pulled her twin into the room before hugging her tightly. "I felt my face throbbing for a while but didn't think anything of it. My twin bond failed me," the blonde sighed dramatically before adding, "I heard people saying so many things and then someone said you had a black eye," the blonde paused and pulled away from the hug, staring at Josie's face. "And  _obviously_  they were mistaken. But still, I'm so sorry about kicking you out."

Josie let out the breath she'd been holding and relaxed into her sister's arms. "I did have a black eye, but um, I had some help fixing it with a spell." Josie knew better than to mention her ex, or even Hope, so she quickly changed the subject, "Lizzie, I'm sorry about the whole thing with Raf. You were right-"

Lizzie pulled out of the hug and gripped her sister's shoulder while staring her down. "No. I wasn't. I overreacted because I was jealous and I'm sorry. I hate it when we fight," the blonde stated simply before letting go of Josie and pulling out her phone as if to forget the whole ordeal.

"I have last year's talent show recording. Let's go over it so  _you_  can relearn it."

There was the Lizzie that Josie knew and ( _most of the time_ ) loved.

///

Josie couldn't believe she had kissed her ex-girlfriend,  _again_.

It wasn't entirely her fault. Those damned slugs had messed up Josie's plan of ignoring Penelope until at least  _one_  of them died. Then again, Josie was sure Penelope would find a way to torment Lizzie through the grave, all while making Josie pine after her. 

Josie wasn't sure what to think of the previous night. It had been such a hectic day starting with Penelope's note, then the slugs, the kiss with her ex, the hateful words towards her sister, and the conversation she had with her dad after it was over. She wasn't sure what to make of his statement, " _Sometimes what really defines someone is what they won't do_."

She was at a loss and had no idea where to go with whatever it was she was doing with Penelope.

The note that her ex had given her sat unopened in the drawer of her desk. Josie had been avoiding it so she wouldn't be tempted to read it. The sheer sight of it reminded her of the times Penelope would leave little love notes by her door. 

Sometimes the witch would stick them in her girlfriend's textbooks so when Josie was studying, she'd come across a sweet note that would help get her through the grueling book.

Josie had kept every note Penelope had given her. They were hidden so Lizzie wouldn't find and burn them and Josie wouldn't open them every time she missed her ex.

As the siphon began to think of the notes, she did what she promised she'd never do again.

She opened one of the later notes her ex had given to her. 

It was a steamy one, and looking back, Josie was able to understand that their sex drive had increased due to all the tension that had been building up just weeks before they broke up.

_Hey cutie,_

_The skirt you've been wearing today looks pretty familiar... perhaps it's because I was taking it off of you a few days ago? You know what that thing does to me. You know how turned on I get when I see you in it. You must really want to get frisky tonight..._

_Do you remember how quickly I pulled it off of you and how slowly I teased you? You love it when I tease you, and baby, that's exactly what you've been doing to me all day. It seems like you've hiked up the skirt to show even more of your legs and hot damn, JoJo, I can't take it._

Josie bit her lip, knowing what comes next in the letter, and looked towards her door. Lizzie was in the gym taking her frustrations out on a punching bag and wouldn't be back for a while.

Josie crawled under her covers and gripped the note with one hand while the other began creeping under her pajama pants. Her breath stuttered as she came in contact with her panties. She began reading the rest of the letter as her hand crept under the last barrier before she reached pleasure.

_One of these days, I'm going to take you into an empty classroom and push you up on a desk. I'm not going to take your skirt off, no, I'm going to fuck you with it on. You're going to be so tense about someone walking in on us that you won't notice how much you need me until I'm knuckle deep in you._

_You know what really gets me going, baby? When you chant my name like a prayer when you come. I'll have to kiss you, hard, to muffle the sound of your screams when I hit the spot that makes your toes curl and your eyes roll back._

_You're so damn sexy when you come._

And come Josie did.

The siphon took a few steadying breaths before finishing the letter, a small smile gracing her face as she read the last sentence,

_Meet me in the bathroom in five or I won't let you get off tonight until I tease you as much as you've teased me. (But no pressure if you're not up for it... we can just cuddle later and watch a movie. As long as I'm with you, I'm the happiest girl in the world.)_ _  
_

_Love you always,_

_Penny_

Josie felt a tear fall before she wiped it away quickly. She didn't have the energy to be an emotional disaster on top of everything else that was happening in her life. She took a steadying breath before she set the letter aside and grabbed a few tissues, cleaning up her mess and falling back in bed with a sigh. 

 

 


	4. the greatest tragedy of all (is your absence)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much love to all of you who commented! i read and cherish them... they 11/10 help me write!!!  
> as always, sorry for any mistakes.

The slip of paper tucked away in the drawer of her desk taunted her.

Josie had given up on trying to complete her homework anywhere near it because of the distraction it caused. It had been days after the slug incident and she was growing tired of avoiding Penelope by ducking into empty classrooms when she saw her in the halls or skipping meals so she wouldn't have to feel her ex's  _beautiful_  green eyes burning holes into her back as she ate.

Josie could only take so much.

The siphon picked up her phone and sighed when she saw curfew was in less than half an hour. Her stomach had been rumbling all day but she was too stressed about seeing Penelope.

Josie's hunger beat her fear of seeing her ex as she zipped a sweatshirt over her tank top and whispered a soft, " _goodnight_ " to her sleeping sister before walking barefoot out of their shared room.

She made it to the kitchen without running into Penelope  _or_  her minions. The siphon was finishing swiping the jelly onto her sandwich when she heard a voice call out, "Will you be the peanut butter to my jelly?"

Josie whipped around and felt her heart soar when she saw Penelope. It plummeted when she smelt the weed coming from the girl.

" _Jesus_ , Penelope, how high are you?"

"Not that high," the girl shrugged, stepping closer to Josie but not invading her space before she added, "We were smoking in the bathroom so the smell kinda permeated us."

Josie shook her head trying to fight a smile as her ex gave her a bright one. "You're too high to be saying words like  _permeated_."

"One is never too high to use that word. It's  _sexy_ ," the witch took a step closer to Josie, causing the girl to be pushed against the counter. Penelope raised a questioning eyebrow and Josie knew this was her ex's way of asking for consent to move closer. Josie, nervous but completely willing, gave the girl a small nod. Penelope gave a nod back and smirked as she rested a hand on the counter, just  _barely_  touching Josie's waist but still eliciting a shudder. She tilted her head before closing the space between them, just a breath away from Josie's lips.

The siphon's back, being pushed against the counter, was starting to sting but she couldn't care less with Penelope so close. Josie didn't want to encourage her ex but Penelope was a drug and Josie couldn't get enough, "It doesn't seem like a sexy word."

"Maybe I'm just not using it in the right context," she replied huskily as she ducked her head, pressing her cheek against Josie's before whispering, "Thanks for the sandwich."

Josie couldn't even think of something to say as she watched Penelope lean away, grabbing the sandwich and licking the side where some jelly was spilling out. "It's delicious," the witch purred, knowing  _exactly_  what she was doing to her ex. "It's  _permeating_  my mouth."

Josie couldn't help but let out a laugh before breathlessly saying, "Oh my god, Penny, you need to stop saying that. It just sounds incorrect in every way."

The witch set down the sandwich and pouted. "I thought it was sexy. Don't you find  _me_  sexy?"

Josie stopped laughing immediately as she felt her cheeks flush at her ex's question. It was asked as a joke, but _still_. She started stuttering out a reply but Penelope beat her to it, "Don't answer," she sighed and took a step back, giving the siphon space, "I know you've been avoiding me so I won't pressure you to, youknow," she trailed off and gestured between the two of them.

"I haven't been avoiding you," Josie muttered, obviously lying.

Penelope just shrugged, knowing the truth. The two stood in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time before Josie's stomach let out a soft grumble. The siphon ducked her head away from her ex's gaze, embarrassed at the sound and that it proved Penelope's point.

"So you haven't been avoiding eating because I might be there? Logical decision, JoJo," Penelope stated sarcastically as she clenched her jaw and spun around to open a cabinet.

"What are you doing?" Josie asked, her voice soft and almost shaky.

"Making pasta."

"Why?"

"You're  _obviously_  hungry."

"Yeah, well, thank you" she replied as she bit her lip, watching her ex fill up a pot with water before placing it on the stove and setting it to an appropriate temperature. Josie frowned when Penelope didn't turn around and instead placed her hands on the counter next to the stove, exhaling deeply. "What's—"

"Have you read the letter?" Penelope asked, whipping around, her eyes filled with a mixture of desperation, guilt, and  _something_  Josie couldn't quite pinpoint.

"No," she responded quietly.

"Okay," she muttered, her face turning impassive, not allowing Josie to gauge how her ex was feeling.

"I've been busy planning—"

"Don't bother with an excuse. We both know if you wanted to read it, you'd read it," Penelope stated before she turned back to face the stove and curse softly at the water which wasn't yet boiling. 

"Do you want me to use a fire spell?"

Penelope couldn't help herself as she let out a snort and began to laugh, shifting the mood from angsty to lighthearted.

Josie felt heat creeping onto her cheeks before she muttered, "Okay, okay. I get it, everyone thinks I'm obsessed with fire."

"Oh, JoJo, that's not it at all," Penelope managed to say between fits of laughter, gripping the counter as she struggled to stay upright. 

Josie tried not to smile at her ex's carefree attitude, but couldn't help it. 

_That_  was the Penelope she dated.

_That_  was the Penelope she fell in love with. 

"What is it?" Josie asked after the witch managed to gather herself and stop laughing.

Penelope was still grinning like a fool as she responded, "People think it's, like, a kink."

Josie felt her face grow impossibly redder. "What did you tell them?!"

Penelope, still grinning, threw her hands up, "I didn't say a word about the whole candle and wax thing or the—"

"I remember what we did," she cut her off before adding, "You don't need to go over it in detail," she groaned the last word, her fingers finding the bridge of her nose as she fought the impending headache.

"Hey, come on, JoJo," Penelope's tone softened and her grin fell to be replaced with a small smile. "Everyone knows you're a bit of a pyromaniac," Josie sent her ex a glare before the witch continued, "and I'd defend your honor, but I don't need to. If your  _thing_  is literal fire, they're not going to be messing with you."

"I would never hurt someone because they're mean to me."

"I know."

Josie bit her lip, contemplating what her ex had said earlier and attempted a nonchalant shrug. "And whatever, everyone has their kinks."

"Exactly. And yours is really  _hot_ , JoJo."

"That was a terrible pun."

"It was brilliant," Penelope added, the grin finding its way back onto her face as she saw Josie fighting hers. 

"The water is boiling so I guess you don't need my pyromaniac self to help you."

Penelope turned and added the noodles to the water as she responded, "I could use you for  _other_   _things_ , though."

"Shut up and cook the pasta," Josie laughed lightly and Penelope felt her heart burst at the sound.

"Yes, ma'am. I wouldn't want you to burn me for my lack of cooperation."

"You're never going to drop it, are you?"

Penelope smirked and turned around before she began to sing with the wooden spoon as a microphone, "Drop it like it's hot."

"Oh my god," Josie groaned and facepalmed.

Time passed rather quickly and as it turned out, they ended up  _totally_  breaking curfew.

Penelope dumped the pasta into a giant bowl as they heard someone coming into the kitchen to do the nightly check.

The two girls held in giggles as they ducked under the counter and attempted to crawl out of the room. Josie led the way to Penelope's room without a second thought and as if she hadn't spent the past few days avoiding her.

When they arrived at the door, both still in a fit of giggles, though now it was because Penelope had dumped a few noodles along the way, they snuck in as quietly as they could.

"No roommate?"

"Never, it seems," Penelope responded, plopping onto her bed and patting next to her, inviting Josie to sit.

The siphon bit her lip but followed, tucking her legs as she sat before asking, "Did you bring forks?"

The witch fell back against her pillows and groaned, "No."

Josie asked, "Do you still have that collection of chopsticks?" Penelope's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion before the siphon added, "Come on," she smiled, nudging the witch as she reminded her, "from when we'd sneak off campus to eat at that Chinese restaurant?"

Penelope sat back up and gave Josie a big smile before scrambling to the box at the end of her bed and digging through it. Josie shook her head, hiding a smile with her hand as she watched the witch hold up two sets of chopsticks triumphantly.

"Let's dig in, JoJo. I'm  _starving_ ," she sat next to Josie and handed her the pair of smooth sticks.

"Are you still high?"

Penelope shrugged, "A bit, yeah. Witch weed is still weed."

"So you made this pasta for yourself, didn't you?" Josie teased as she took her first bite of it and let out a soft moan. 

The witch blushed and ducked her head before asking, "That good, huh?"

"Better than just  _good_ , Penny. Try heavenly," Josie responded, the moniker slipping from her mouth due to her distractedness of the explosion of taste that was caused by the pasta.

"It's just noodles and broth with—"

Josie interrupted her with a shake of her head and a hand hovering in the air as she continued to consume the meal. After she swallowed, she brought her hand to cover her mouth in fear she had something in her teeth as she spoke, "Don't ruin the secret."

Penelope gently grabbed Josie wrist and pulled it to the girl's side before murmuring, "You don't have to hide."

"It has less to do with hiding and more to do with not wanting you to see me with noodles in my teeth," she responded, trying not to show how touched she was by her ex's comment.

The witch simply rolled her eyes and the two girls began to eat in a comfortable silence.

The bowl was finished in record time which was no surprise considering Josie had been starving herself and Penelope had the munchies.

Penelope moved the dish and the chopsticks to her desk before finding her place next to Josie. "Can we talk about you avoiding me?"

A feeling of dread washed over the siphon and she looked away from Penelope. "I'd rather not."

"Look, Josie, it's not the fact that you were avoiding  _me_. I can live with that, as painful as it may be," she tried joking, nudging the girl's knee with her own before continuing, "What concerns me is that you stopped eating."

"It's not like I was trying to," Josie defended, looking at her ex in annoyance before it melted away as soon as she saw the pure concern on Penelope's face. "I know it was stupid but I guess I just worked myself up to thinking running into you would be the worst thing in the world."

"Over starving?"

"It's not like I stopped eating completely," Josie added, raising an eyebrow.

"Still," Penelope stated, crossing her arms, "you need to look out for yourself."

Josie, for some strange reason, felt the comment carry more weight than it should. "Is everything okay?"

The witch gazed at her ex for a moment before she shook her head, mainly at herself and uncrossed her arms. "Everything's fine, JoJo."

Josie felt Penelope lying but decided not to push it and instead, change the subject. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"

"I'd offer to share my bed, but you'd just run off again."

Josie blushed and swatted Penelope's arm, "Would not."

"Then prove it."

Josie fought a smile as she asked, "Are you suggesting I sleep with you,  _platonically_ ," she added so Penelope wouldn't add some suggestive comment, "just to prove a point?"

"Yep."

"Deal."

///

Penelope's roommate came in the morning and found the two girls tangled up and fast asleep. She woke them when she loudly stated, " _Oh my god, I can't wait to tell the other witches about this_."

Penelope was quick to threaten the other girl so she'd never mutter a thing about what she saw, but Josie was fast out the door, too worried someone else might walk in on them and it'd get back to Lizzie.

Josie felt guilty about doing exactly what she said she wouldn't and Penelope felt hurt that Josie didn't even bother to say goodbye.

A few days later, Penelope built up the courage to speak to her ex. 

It was too bad that she picked one of the most stressful days of Josie's life to do it.

"Hey," a voice called out and the siphon turned to see Penelope striding towards her, a teasing smile gracing her lips. "How about we blow this popsicle stand and go to my room for a little binge-watch and chill?"

Josie contemplated Penelope for a moment before she shook her head, mainly to herself for even thinking of ditching the preparations for the pageant. "I can't."

The witch tilted her head, the smile still on her face as if she knew Josie would decline. "Well, I'm sure I could make it worth your while," Penelope took a step closer and smirked as Josie frantically glanced around, checking if anyone was watching.

"Penelope,  _don't_ ," Josie warned but didn't step away.

The witch's smirk dropped for a second as she murmured, "I would  _never_  touch you without your consent, JoJo," the smirk returned as she added, "so please, do yourself a favor and come to my room where we can do things that involve  _plenty_  of consent."

Josie opened her mouth but nothing came out.

Penelope saw the girl's inability to speak and her smirk only grew. "You can follow me there and get a  _great_  view," Josie's eyes trailed to her ex's ass unintentionally before the witch added, "or you can indulge this misogynistic and archaic pageant."

"It's tradition," she muttered, flushing when she realized where she had been staring. After a moment, Josie straightened herself and set her shoulders before meeting Penelope's gaze. "I can't be playing hookey with you because I'm a contestant."

"You know, I wish I was drinking something right now so I could do a spit take," the witch's lips twisted in judgment and disappointment.

Josie frowned at her ex and asked, "You know my mom was Miss Mystic Falls?"

_Of course Penelope knew this piece of information. When the two girls were still together, Josie would often be laid out in bed looking over old pictures of her mom. Many of Josie's favorites included the grand dresses and the fancy hair and the perfectly groomed men._

_So yeah, Penelope knew the legacy of Miss Mystic Falls._

"Lizzie's been dreaming of this day since she was little. Things have been rocky—"

"It always comes back to Lizzie," Penelope interrupted, the words exiting her mouth without warning but she quickly put a stop to it. She shook her head before adding, "I'm not going to keep chasing you, Josie. And I'm not going to keep battling for your attention." 

"I'm not asking you to."

"I know," Penelope said softly, "This," she gestured between them, "isn't what either one of us want," the moment seemed to hit the witch harder than Josie thought as the girl's eyes looked into hers with fear as she murmured, "I'm just so fucking scared."

Josie's eyebrows scrunched in confusion but before she could question her ex, Penelope was shaking her head at herself and turning on her heel, walking away.

_Josie did get a great view, but she wasn't going to be following it, and that was the greatest tragedy of all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i was eating pasta during a good portion of writing this chapter.  
> kudos + comments = happy writer who writes (i need validation if u couldn't tell lol)
> 
> if ur looking for some future sneak peeks of chapters, feel free to follow my twitter: warriorwoman_1


	5. choose someone to love (but love yourself first)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it's been three months bUt aNyWaY... cheers to SDCC and all the baiting we got... but like, it's fine bc we're used to it and we need to be fed posie, even if it is complete baiting. also, sorry for any mistakes, grammatical or any other mess-ups i made. it's been a while.  
> * this chapter is pretty canon and uses dialogue and scenes from episode fourteen. just know that i don't own any part of legacies or their writing. okey. cool. disclaimer over.

"I am withdrawing from Miss Mystic Falls effective immediately," Lizzie's melodramatic tone and surprising news caused Josie to scrunch her eyebrows in concern and confusion while Penelope just smirked behind her ex.

Hope just pursed her lips and sat down as she muttered, "I thought you had something  _important_  to tell us."

"Come for the underwhelming announcement, stay for the epic meltdown," Penelope added snidely.

Without even glancing at her ex, Josie waved a hand at the witch, shushing her before asking her sister, "Okay, wait, why are you quitting?"

Lizzie scowled and gripped her binder tighter as she responded, "A personal issue with one of the judges. A direct result of that  _bitch_  Dana's sabotage."

Hope's eyes widened as she tried reprimanding, "She's dead, Lizzie."

The blonde didn't blink as she added, "Correction, that  _dead bitch_  Dana's sabotage. Costing me the crown from beyond the grave," she spoke dramatically before explaining, "The head judge is her mother. The town pharmacist," she added before continuing her rant, "There is always next year for me."

Josie nodded nervously, her thoughts running to every possible scenario as she waited for her sister's plan for the current pageant.

Lizzie continued, "But that does not mean that we here at the Salvatore School shouldn't bring home the title and  _stick it_ to those townies."

Penelope rolled her eyes, not surprised Lizzie's version of 'dropping out' only meant she'd be working twice as hard to take a win for the school. Hope just glanced around the room, wondering what the big deal was and who else actually gave a shit. 

"So, I have studied all of the stats and advanced metrics, and I have chosen a replacement," Lizzie said as she looked from Josie's hopeful face to the tribrid who was looking rather uncomfortable. "Hope Mikaelson."

Not only was the shock evident on Hope's face, but also on Penelope's and Josie's.

_Through Josie looked more disappointed than anything else. And Penelope? Penelope was just plain pissed._

///

Josie shrugged off her disappointment as quickly as she could. It wasn't like her purpose changed; she was still the fall girl, someone who would make it easier for Hope to be crowned. If that's what Lizzie wanted then that's what Lizzie would get.

The siphoner's thoughts were broken as she glanced from where she was stretching to see her sister walking with Hope. The blonde gave her a nod and Josie's stomach clenched in anticipation.

"What are you doing here?" Josie forced out as she stood and was met with her ex's smiling face. "Isn't your presence alone a huge win for the patriarchy?"

Penelope hummed in approval of Josie's comment, "Not if I'm your escort," she replied easily raising an eyebrow and giving the girl a wink.

"MG is my escort," Josie responded, attempting to force down the butterflies rising in her stomach as Penelope gave her signature head tilt.

" _Well_ , I might have convinced him to sit this one out."

Josie didn't bother to ask why Penelope would ask MG, she just shook her head and tried to ignore the feeling she got every time she looked at her ex.

One of the judges cleared her throat and informed the contestants the rehearsal was starting. 

Josie knew she'd have to throw the pageant, but if she didn't have a dance partner, even for the rehearsal, she'd be worthless to helping Hope. She pursed her lips and turned to face her ex.

It wouldn't have been so emotionally difficult for Josie if Penelope didn't look so  _good_. The witch always had a flattering blouse on, usually unbuttoned low enough to keep Josie's eyes fluttering from the girl's face and back  _down_  again. The maroon bow that was tied loosely around her neck caused Josie's mind to fly in all different directions, including the time they both had to wear thick chokers and scarves for a week because of the number of hickeys they gave each other.

Thankfully, Josie was forced back to reality as the music began playing and the judge gave directions, "Honor your partner."

The two followed instruction and Josie raised an eyebrow at how well Penelope was able to keep up. "When did you learn how to dance?"

"Besides the hundreds of lessons my mother forced on me?" Penelope teased before adding, "I learned a while ago when I thought we might do  _all this_  together."

Josie's eyebrows knit in confusion as she asked, "You would've been down for all the misogynistic traditions?"

"I'm always down for you, JoJo," Penelope gave her ex a wink, causing the siphon's cheeks to darken significantly.

The pause in the conversation led to Josie looking past Penelope and seeing her sister give her a nod. The anxiety that had dissipated with Penelope was back. Josie muttered, mostly to herself, "I'm going to trip now."

"What?" Penelope stuttered as she reacted and managed to grab Josie's hand and slip a hand on the back of her waist, keeping her from falling. Josie's hand went to brace her fall but ended up gripping her ex's arm. Penelope spun the siphon so she was standing again and gave her a wide smile.

"Oh, very nice!" the judge exclaimed before adding sympathetically, "but there's no touching during this part." Penelope wiggled her eyebrows mischievously at her ex after she gave a mock pout and feigned being embarrassed as the judge added, "It's all about the simple intimacy of the near-touch."

Josie couldn't snap at Penelope with the look the girl was giving her, so she settled on keeping her mouth shut as they continued the dance.

The glare Lizzie was sending their way went unnoticed by both girls as they finished the dance, both unwilling to release the lock their eyes had formed on one another. 

///

"How'd the interview portion go?" Penelope asked, hopeful as she passed Josie in the hallway. 

The girl turned around with a fake smile and responded, "Great. Totally blew it," she turned to keep walking but the witch stopped her.

"Hey, hey," she said forcefully before her tone turned softer, "I think we should talk about how you really feel about this."

"Okay, sure. Or," Josie pulled a pen from a notebook she was holding and held it so her ex saw it, "maybe I could just write it all down with this."

Penelope closed her eyes for a brief second before biting her lip and looking at Josie with an unreadable expression.

_Although, if Josie had to pick an emotion on her ex's face, at that moment, the witch looked proud. Josie wasn't sure if the witch was proud of herself, or proud of Josie for figuring it out._

"I was wondering how you quoted my exact thought on Miss Mystic Falls word for word," Josie's tone began bordering on hostile as she continued, "Then I remembered I wrote it all in my diary, using one of the pens you gave everyone for Christmas."

Penelope just stood, her eyes downcast and her face blank.

"You spelled it," Josie continued, "You're using it to spy. I siphoned one. There's enough magic in it to levitate an elephant." Josie took a couple of steps closer to Penelope before holding the pen out. 

Her ex took it and gave a bashful smile. "You caught me," she tried but realized quickly she couldn't play that game with Josie. The smile dropped and she looked around awkwardly before admitting, "Yeah, I've been reading your journal. I've been reading everyone's journal."

Josie shook her head and let out a huff as Penelope continued, "But I've only been using the information for good. Like, convincing you to win Miss Mystic Falls."

The siphon quickly responded, "Even if I hadn't already tanked it, I don't want to win, because then I'd be beating Hope and Lizzie wants Hope to win."

Josie ignored Penelope's sigh as she continued, "So all of your selfish, obnoxious and evil meddling was for nothing."

Penelope just pursed her lips, saying nothing. Josie gave an exasperated scoff before turning to walk away.

///

After the last two days Josie had, all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. It felt like everyone she loved had smacked her in the face. First Lizzie ignored her as an option for Miss Mystic Falls, then she found out about Penelope's lack of boundaries, and now MG had bailed on her as her escort.

But Josie needed to hold her head high and wait until the perfect opportunity arose to make herself fail and Hope shine.

"Ope," a voice mumbled before Josie turned and was met with Penelope's smiling face as the girl brushed past another student.

Josie felt the anxiety that had been eating at her melt away. She wished Penelope didn't have such a hold on her, but alas, the witch might as well have been gripping the girl's heart in her hands.

"You are like a lingering cough."

"MG's M.I.A," Penelope responded, letting the insult go right over her as she stuck out her arm, "You're stuck with me."

Josie didn't know if it was the song, the way Penelope looked, or every emotion in her screaming all at once, but she felt  _happy_. 

"Riddle me this," Penelope asked as the two girls began walking down the staircase, "How does you losing everything help Hope win?"

"I'm the fall girl. I had to make it into contention to this point, the final event, so I could take a literal fall and take out Hope's closest competitor," Josie stated, the lack of emotion in her voice sounded as if she was reading from a script.

"For real?" Penelope asked and when she received silence, she continued, "Josie, you are so much better than that. I know Lizzie doesn't think that you can win, but  _I do_."

Penelope gave the girl a warm smile and whispered, "Go down swinging." The witch could feel Josie's anxiety rolling off of her, so she continued, "You deserve to walk down those steps with your head held high, like your mom did."

Before Josie could respond, the spotlight was on them.

"Miss Josette Saltzman, escorted by Miss Penelope Park."

 _Those words_.

Those words were what Josie's dreams were made of. She was still head over heels in love with Penelope, but more importantly, at that moment, Josie wanted to  _win_.

She couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her face, especially with the way the witch was looking at her. They continued to walk, and as Josie made eye contact with her sister, everything suddenly felt like it was in slow motion.

Josie had a choice.

She had made a similar choice before.

It was between Penelope and Lizzie and ultimately, Josie chose her sister. Thus, Penelope broke up with her.

But Josie realized this wasn't about Penelope,  _or even her sister_. This was about  _Josie_. About her feelings and her dreams and her  _life_.

For the first time, in what felt like her entire life, Josie chose herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos + comments = happy writer who writes (i need validation if u couldn't tell lol)
> 
> if ur looking for some future sneak peeks of chapters, feel free to follow my twitter: warriorwoman_1


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